Inking system for printing presses



y 3 c. E. STOUCH INKING SYSTEM FOR PRINTING PRESSES Filed Aug. 17, 1935 INVENTOR. Y [Yarencell fifiaacb, B

Patented May 19, 1936 UNITED. STATES PATIENT OFFICE Clarence E. Stouch, Great Neck, N. Y., assignor to Speedry Gravure Corporation, New York, N. Y., a. corporation of New York Application August 1'7, 1935, Serial No. 36,609

6 Claims. (Cl. 101 -157) The present invention relates to printing presses and embodies, more specifically, an improved housing structure for printing presses of the type which utilizes ink, the solvent or sol-- 5 vents of which are relatively volatile. Presses of this type are now in common use, particularly in rotary gravure printing, the highly volatile ink enabling the speed at which'the press is operated to be increased substantially by' reason of the quick drying properties of suchinks.

In order that these highly-volatile inks may be satisfactorily used, and to prevent objectionable evaporation of the volatile ink ingredients during operation, presses have heretofore been constructed wherein the'ink housings are formed with elements constituting seals between the Sta-'- tionary and movable parts. To this'end, seals are provided at the ends and sides of the housing, cooperating with the ends and sides of the rotating cylinder and forming a closed housing within which the ink is applied to the printing surface of the cylinder and to which ink is supplied by a suitable ink circulating system.

In accordance with the present invention, it is proposed to provide a housing having closure elements which need not necessarily constitute a complete seal between the stationary and movable elements, the invention providing a means by which the volatile ingredients escaping from the housing may be recovered and suitably treated. a An object of the invention, accordingly, is t provide, in combination with an ink housing and a printing press, means to prevent the loss of volatile ink ingredients from the housing and ink circulating system of a press.

A further object of the invention is to provide,

I 50 gr'edients escaping from an enclosed or partially enclosed ink housing of a printing press, .such mechanism being positioned on the housing adjacent the points where leakage or escape of the volatilized ingredients occurs.

55 The mechanism by means of which the above objects are attained includes suction manifolds positioned adjacent the cylinder at the points at which volatilized ink ingredients escape from a device constructed in accordance with the pres- 5 ent invention has been applied, the view being of corresponding elements shown in Figure 1;

and' Figure 3 is a segmental view in section, taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1, and looking in the 20 direction of the arrows, this view illustrating the manner in which the end manifolds are mounted upon the stationary housing structure.

With reference to the above drawing, the cylinder of a printing press is shown at I!) and is 25 provided with a shaft I l which may be journaled in a suitable supporting structure, not shown. In order that the volatile ingredients of the ink applied tov the cylinder may not escape to the outside atmosphere, a housing I2 is provided, the 30 housing being formed with end walls l3 and side walls I4 and I5. The end walls l3 are formed with upper flanges l6 which may underlie the adjacent ends of the cylinder l0 and serve to partially enclose the ink within the housing. Seals 35 I! are provided at the end walls [3 in order that ink and the volatile ingredients thereof may not escape along the shaft I l, and a doctor l8, of

suitable construction, is provided to wipe the ex- I cess ink from the'surface of the'cylinder prior 40 to the impression stage of the printing operation,

, The doctor l8 may be suitably mounted upon the press and preferably seals the adjacent side wall M to the rotating cylinder during operation. The details of the mounting, structure for the doctor are not described herein inasmuch as these elements constitute no part of the present invention. I

The side wall I5 is preferably provided with a l cover l9 which may serve as a partial enclosure for the adjacent side of' the housing to limit the space through which volatile ink ingredients may escape from the housing. In this connection, the cover l9 may be so'associated withthe end walls l3 and the side wall .15 as to prevent the escape It in such fashion as to prevent the escape of volatile ink ingredients from between the doctor and the adjacent portion of the end enclosure I 6. This is illustrated in 'Figure 2 wherein, at 20,

is indicated a space to accommodate the proper operation of the doctor.

' Ink is supplied to the cylinder from a reservoir 5 2| through a pipe 22 by any suitable pressure a pump 24.

means and is preferably discharged outwardly against the rotating cylinder in order that its printingsurface may be adequately inked. After the inking operation, the ink is returned to the reservoir 2| through a pipe 23 and by means of As above noted, if it is not found expedient to maintain an effective seal between the cover vI 9 and the cylinder ill, or between either end enclosure i6 and the adjacent end of the cylinder I0, the, volatile ink ingredients will escape from these respective members. In order that these ingredients may not be lost, and to preserve a desired ink constituency, end manifolds 25 are mounted upon the stationary press structure and are provided with openings 26 which are disposedadjacent the spaces between the end enclosure l6 and'the cylinder I! through which the volatile ink ingredients escape. The manifolds 25 are connected through pipes 21 with asuction line 28 and a suction pump 29 in order that these volatilized ingredients may be returned to a suitable condensing apparatus 30.

This apparatus may be of any form suited for condensing the particular volatile ingredients of the ink and the speciflcform of such apparatus extend along the aforesaid space and recover the volatilized ingredients which escape therethrough. The manifold 32 .may be connected through a series of connections 34 with a pipe 35 which communicates with the suction line 28 in order that such recovered ingredients may be supplied-to the condensing apparatus 30. After the escaped ingredients have been condensed,

I they are returned through pipe 36 to the reservoir 2|, thus maintaining the ink in the ink circulat ing system at adesired consistency.

.Obviously, the present invention may be utilized on presses the ink housings of which may be sealed to any desired degree. If found expe- I dient to construct the housing of a more orless totally enclosed and air tight nature, the present invention may be used asan auxiliary device which serves as an additional precaution or preventative against loss of the volatilizedink ingredients. If it is found inexpedient to preserve a substantial seal between the cylinder and the adjacent housing portions, the present invention becomes particularly useful in preserving the ink in a desired condition. In any event, loss of the volatilized ink ingredients is effectively prevented, and the invention is not to be limited, save as defined in the appended claims.

I claim: I

1. In combination with a printing press having a rotatable printing cylinder and an ink housing adapted to receive ink having a relatively volatile ingredient, means to recover volatile ink ingredients escaping from adjacent the cylinder, means to condense the volatile ink ingredients, and means to return the condensed ingredients to the ink housing.

2. In combination with a printing press having a rotatable printing cylinder, an ink housing adapted to receive ink'having a relatively volatile ingredient, means to seal the space between the cylinder and the housing, and means to recover 'volatile inkingredients escaping from between the sealing means and the cylinder.

3. In combination with a printing press having a rotatable printing cylinder, an ink housing adapted to receive ink having a relatively volatile ingredient, means to seal the space between the cylinder and the housing, anda suction manifold to recover volatile ink ingredients escaping from between the sealing means and the cylinder.

4. In combination with a printing press having a rotatable printing cylinder, an ink housing adapted to receive ink having a relatively volatile ingredient, means to seal the space between the cylinder and the housing, a suction manifold to recover volatile ink ingredients escaping from between the sealing means and the cylinder, and means to return the collected vola-' tile ink ingredients to the housing.

5. In combination with a printing press having a rotatable printing cylinder, an ink housing adapted to receive ink having a relatively volatile ingredient, means to seal the space between the cylinder and the housing, a suction manifold to means to condense and return the collected ,vol-

atile ink'ingredients to the housing.

6. In combination with a printing press having a rotatable printing cylinder and an ink housing;

adapted to receive ink having a relatively volatile ingredient, means tween the cylinder and housing to restrict the escape of v e ink ingredients, and means to recover vol ile ink ingredients escaping CLARENCE E. S'I'OUCH.

from adjacent the last named. 

